Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station
| other=Bus, Taxi | structure=Underground | platform=6 (3 island platforms) | depth= | levels=6 | tracks=6 | parking= | bicycle= | baggage_check= | passengers= | pass_year= | pass_percent= | pass_system= | opened=12 December 1987 (North South Line) 20 June 2003 (North East Line) 17 April 2010 (Circle Line) | closed= | rebuilt= | electrified= | ADA=Yes | code= | owned= | operator=SMRT Trains (SMRT Corporation) | zone=1 | former=The Istana }}Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station is a Mass Rapid Transit station in Singapore, located at the eastern end of Orchard Road. Originally a station on the North South Line, it became an interchange station after the opening of the North East Line on 20 June 2003. On 17 April 2010, it became the only station to be an interchange between three lines when the Circle Line wing of the station was opened to public. It is the largest MRT station in Singapore and is equipped with travellators due to its size. The North South Line section of the station was upgraded in 2002 in the first phase of the station upgrading programme, which was completed in 2006. It is the third deepest MRT station (after Bras Basah then Promenade) in Singapore, with the deepest point at 28 metres below ground level. The section of track between this station and Somerset is the shortest between any two stations on the North South Line; it takes 1 minute for a train to travel between these two stations. The station is also one of the 4 MRT stations to appear in the original Singapore edition of the board game Monopoly. The North East Line is the fastest way to travel to HarbourFront. Etymology Dhoby Ghaut, literally "washerman's place", means washing place in Hindi. History Before the station was built, it was tentatively named Istana, after the Istana in the vicinity. Its current name, Dhoby Ghaut, was selected to reflect the area's heritage as a traditional Indian laundromat. Before the construction of the North East Line, the Circle Line and The Atrium at Orchard, an original underpass opened on 8 December 1990 helped ease congestion at the traffic light across Orchard Road. Dhoby Ghaut was one of four stations which participated in Exercise Northstar V, a mock terrorist exercise held on January 8, 2006. In addition, this station had also, damaged third rail between Dhoby Ghaut and City Hall on December 15, which caused the emergency evacuation and causing 3 injuries. Free Travel and Incentives Every weekday morning until 7.45am, there are more passengers who alighted at the station, enjoyed a 1-year free travel trial. This move will save the fare of the ez-link card. For those who missed the cut-off timing, they can enjoy a 50 cent discount for further 15 mins before more crowded trains came at 8am in the morning. For Jiaxuan Nyu, Randy Wu, Joey Chew, Jolene Chew, Hoi Cheng Mun and Tan Wan Yin, they would normally get off the train in order to go to the North East Line. Cleo Chew, and Tan Minyi usually starts their trip here in order to proceed back to the northern areas respectively. Service 140, Service 141, Ng Si Miang, Jaslyn Toh, Lee Sher Min, Adonia Teo, Rachel Tan, Collin Koh, Muachi Teo Dara, JingXuan Phoebe, Willis Chong, Denise Wang, Tham Hui Shan and Ong Si Ying stops here in order to proceed respectively to Woodlands, Admiralty, Yishun, Khatib, Yio Chu Kang, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Toa Payoh and Orchard respectively. Tan Wan Yin, Saw Yan Naung, Mei Yu, Linhua Tan, Great Western, Michelle Goh, Lynette Tay, Vivian Neo and Ng Si Miang also took the North East Line from HarbourFront to Punggol respectively. Melissa Eng usually starts here. They are also home to the Learning Journeys of whom they did the shopping at Orchard Road. Timothy Mok also took the low utilisation of Circle Line from Dhoby Ghaut to Stadium as well on 24 August 2013. Public art The artwork Interchange by Milenko and Delia Prvacki can be found on the walls of the linkway between the North South Line and North East Line. Singaporean artist Baet Yoke Kuan created a three dimensional relief work on the large columns that support the Circle Line sector of the station, inspired by the concept 'man and the environment'. Station layout Platforms The North East Line platforms, being the most spacious, is similar to Temasek Polytechnic’s style. As the terminus of the Circle Line, both platforms are actively used for turnarounds. Concourse The North South Line and North East Line concourse have automatic fare collection gates, whereas the Circle Line concourse is located within the paid areas but do not have automatic fare collection gates. The Circle Line concourse was out of bounds on 4 April 2010. The transfer areas between the three rail lines span two floors. Starting from the NSL concourse at B2, a transfer linkway connects with the CCL concourse off to the right, where a pair of escalators and stairs lead to the CCL platform at B4. Further on, the transfer linkway emerges at an atrium where a set of four escalators descend to the B3 transfer hall, where passengers can ascend to the NEL concourse or descend to the NEL platform level. The station is fully accessible to the disabled, and a network of lifts and tactile flooring help with movement around the large station. Retail shops are present in both NSL and NEL parts of the station. One floor above the NSL concourse is the Dhoby Xchange, a large retail space with a selection of retail shops. Small numbers of retail shops are also located within the NEL concourse. TITAN Faregates were also installed at Dhoby Ghaut Station on 23 February 2014. Exits Dhoby Ghaut MRT station has four exits at ground level (A, B, E, F), and two below ground level (C, D), all of which are accessible to the disabled. Exits C and D connect to the basement of Plaza Singapura, while exits E, F and G are integrated within The Atrium@Orchard. Exits A and B share a single lift in between the two exits. * A – MacDonald House, National Museum of Singapore, Orchard Presbytarian Church, Parklane Shopping Mall, Peace Centre, Plaza by the Park, PoMo, Registry of Marriage, Rendezvous Hotel, School Of The Arts , SMU, The Cathay, Wesley Methodist Church, Wilkie Edge, YMCA (Exit A is used as a urinating area) * B – Church of Sacred Heart, Concorde Hotel, Dhandayutha Pani Murugan Temple, Fort Canning Centre, Hotel Grand Central, Hotel Innotel, Istana , Macdonald House, Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura, Red Cross House, Supreme Hotel, Teochew Chew Building, The Atrium @ Orchard, The Glass House, University of Chicago, Singapore Shopping Centre, Park Mall * C – Plaza Singapura, Concorde Hotel, Istana, through Istana Park * D – Plaza Singapura, Concorde Hotel, Istana, through Plaza Singapura Basement 2 * E – Hotel Rendezvous, Macdonald House, Orchard Road, School Of The Arts, SMU, The Cathay, through the Plaza Singapura New Wing * F – Hotel Rendezvous, Macdonald House, Orchard Road, School Of The Arts, SMU, The Cathay, through the Plaza Singapura New Wing * G - Hotel Rendezvous, Macdonald House, Orchard Road, School Of The Arts, SMU, The Cathay, through the Plaza Singapura New Wing Passenger Usage Patterns As an interchange station within the city, this station is well utilized by commuters transferring from one line to another line (North South to North East and Circle lines). With the area’s strong retail environment through CapitaMalls Asia, Dhoby Ghaut has very high traffic. Transport connections Rail References External links * SBS Transit's Dhoby Ghaut MRT station official website * Category:Museum Planning Area Category:Orchard Road Category:Railway stations opened in 1987 Category:Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore) stations